Rioja, whose owner/chef Jennifer Jaskinski came really, really close to winning this season’s Top Chef Masters, is back on the list, landing at spot No. 18. Last time Rioja was included was in 2011.

Faison prefaces her effort by noting: “After countless lunches, dinners, tens of thousands of calories and hours of careful deliberation and debate, our fourth annual ranking of the Denver area’s best restaurants is complete. Dig in for a comprehensive, of-the-moment snapshot of the local dining scene.”

Actress Meredith Baxter during the VIP meet-and-greet that preceded the 2013 Arapahoe House Luncheon. (David Zalubowski, Special to The Denver Post)

Emmy-winning actress Meredith Baxter gained fame — and everything else that went with it — for her starring role on the 1980s sitcom “Family Ties.” She was the liberal, ex-hippie mom Elyse Keaton to Michael J. Fox’s character, the young conservative Republican Alex P. Keaton.

The show won plenty of awards and after it ended she went on to appear in films and TV shows like “Cold Case,” “Glee” and “The Closer.” She also married three times, gave birth to five children, came out as a lesbian and survived breast cancer.

What a lot of her fans did not know, though, was that she also battled addiction to alcohol.

Sober now for more than two decades, Baxter reflected on her recovery when she came to Denver Sept. 20 to speak at a luncheon that grossed $250,000 for Arapahoe House, Colorado’s leading provider of substance abuse treatment and recovery programs.

“Alcohol was not my problem,” she told the 500 attending this event held in the Seawell Grand Ballroom. “I had a problem with my thinking and used alcohol as a solution. In 23 years of sobriety I have been dragged, kicking and screaming, from one moment of sober bliss to another.”

In a talk best described as vulnerable and insightful, Baxter added that she “Never wanted to be an actress, but (I) never considered (being) anything else.”

Baxter began her presentation by expressing admiration for the nonprofit organization. “Serving over 15,000 people every year, Arapahoe House is very worthy of your support,” she said.

Luncheon co-chair Alan Dill pointed out that a “significant” number of the luncheon sponsors were from the liquor industry. “These companies recognize the critical importance of providing treatment,” Dill said.

In closing remarks, Mike Butler, president of the Arapahoe House board, asked members in the audience to stand if they or someone they knew had been affected by alcoholism or drug addiction. The entire audience stood.

“It’s amazing just how large of an impact this disease has, yet there is still so much stigma attached to it,” Butler said. “I hope you will join me and everyone at Arapahoe House in fighting the disease and eliminating the stigma.”

The 4th Annual Arapahoe House Luncheon with Meredith Baxter was presented by The Anschutz Foundation. Other major sponsors included The Galena Foundation, and Dill Dill Carr Stonbraker & Hutchings.